TravelValue: England: museum

Showing posts with label museum. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2019

London: Shockingly Unprofessional Staff And A Complete Waste Of Time And Money

Madame Tussaud’s
Marylebone Road
London NW1 5LR, United Kingdom
Regent's Park
Website: madametussauds.com
Prices: $$$$

We paid very good money to be insulted by staff, then have management tell me "I've known him for 15 years, he wouldn't do that!" when I complained about the jerk's behavior. When customers pay the kind of money we paid, we should be treated with dignity and respect. Madame Tussaud's apparently thinks their poop does not stink and that people will continue to pay exorbitant prices to see the same wax figures that have been there for years, so normal customs and courtesies simply do not apply to them.

For the extremely high prices they charge, the very few wax figures on display and massive crowds pushing and shoving to have their photo taken with their favorite celebrity mannequin, hardly made it worth the price of admission. On top of that, they try to charge extra other attractions, leading you, quite literally, down the primrose path only to find that the attraction is not included in the price of admission.

I went to Madame Tussaud's (London) back in the mid-90s and was not impressed then, so I am certainly not now. The creep that insulted me upon arrival left a bad taste in my mouth and his manager was just as bad, so maybe my perception of the place was a bit jaded. Well, all I can say is tough titties and KISS MY BLOODY ARSE MADAME TUSSAUD"S!

CombatCritic Gives Madame Tussaud's 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Stratford-upon-Avon, England: Shakespeare's Daughter's House A Bit Of A Disappointment

Hall’s Croft
Old Town
Stratford Upon Avon CV37 6BG
United Kingdom
Phone number: +44 1789 292107
Prices: ££££

On the edge of town and just up the street from Holy Trinity Church (Shakespeare's parish church and burial place), the home of William's daughter is quite lovely from the outside, but not nearly as impressive inside.

After entering through the massive gift shop you will find the original house with period furnishings in the first few rooms. Upstairs is a different matter with modern finishings, including drywall and little historical feel, the main room (which would have never been so large) houses a substandard museum dedicated to Dr. Hall's medical profession.

The garden is nice, but with little historical feel and picnic tables for those buying food at their cafè. It is a shame that the majority of this house is dedicated to modern pursuits rather than the historically significant details associated with the property. After all, William Shakespeare himself frequented this home, having lived just around the corner or on his way to or from his church (Holy Trinity) just a 150 yards beyond.

CombatCritic Gives Hall's Croft 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

Friday, January 20, 2017

Matera, Italy: Top-Notch, Not So LIttle Museum Tells The Archeological History Of Ancient Matera

Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola
Via Domenico Ridola 24
75100 Matera, Italy
Phone number +39 0835 310058
Website: MuseoArcheologicoMatera
Prices: €€€€

A hidden gem and excellent value in central Matera, it looks more like a bank than museum from the outside and entry is just €2 (teachers get a discount with ID). The museum is very well laid out so you can follow a single path rather than bounce back and fourth across and between rooms as is the case at many larger museums (the Smithsonian in DC and the Met in NYC come to mind).

For the minimal fee, you will find an abundance of archeological relics and remains dating back to the 6th Century B.C. as well as recreations of village life and cave paintings from that time in this 105 year old museum.

A great way to spend an hour or two on a blustery winter day as we did during the worst snowstorm in Matera over the past 60 years, you can leisurely stroll through at your own pace without hectic crowds hovering in front of you. The day we were there, we saw only one or two other couples in the museum the entire time. There is a room of to your right as you descend the stairs toward the exit with a snack and coffee machine which was quite reasonable (caffe latte, espresso, cappuccino, or hot chocolate were just €.40 each).

The staff are very friendly and helpful, but their English is limited and all exhibits as well as their App (with slideshows and verbal descriptions accessed via the web with a QR code reader) are only in Italian. Lack of English descriptions and translations were the only thing keeping me from giving them a perfect score.

CombatCritic Gives Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola on Yelp

Title: Matera, Italy: Top-Notch, Not So LIttle Museum Tells The Archeological History Of Ancient Matera

Key Words: Museo Archeologico Nazionale Domenico Ridola, Domenico, Ridola, Matera, Basilicata, museum, museo, archeologico, archeological, archeology, Italy, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: OOH-RAH = "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Monday, November 14, 2016

Lawrence, KS: KU's Spencer Museum - The Little Museum That Could

Spencer Museum Of Art

1301 Mississippi Street
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS 66045
Phone number (785) 864-4710
Website: spencerart.ku.edu
Prices: $$$$ (FREE)

There are some notable museums in Lawrence, among them KU's Spencer Museum Of Art with its eclectic and impressive collection, including works by Andy Warhol, Angelo Bronzino, Albert Bierstadt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Édouard Manet, Frederick Remington, and John Singer Sargent just to name a few.

The museum is not very large, but the building has recently reopened after an extensive renovation. Unlike many museums, the new floor plan lends itself very well to a continuous and simple path on which you can view every piece without having to bounce around from side to side or room to room. The vast majority of the collection is on the second floor.

The Spencer lacks many of the more famous artists and some of my favorites, including Rembrandt, Monet, Renoir, Lautrec, VanGogh, Picasso, and Dali. However, for a rather small museum, the Spencer has an impressive collection and is well worth a visit, particularly considering that entry is free.

Having been to some of the world's greatest museums, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay and l'Orangerie (Paris), the British Museum and Tate Modern (London), the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Guggenheim (NYC), the Vatican Museums, Galleria dell'Accademia and Galleria degli Uffizi (Italy), Museo del Prado and Museo Picasso Málaga (Spain), and the Philadelphia Museum of Art to name just a few, I must compare the Spencer to them when considering a rating. Although not on the same level as any museum listed above, the Spencer is impressive on several levels, an excellent value, and entertaining way to spend two to three hours.

CombatCritic Gives KU's Spencer Museum Of Art 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie

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Read Chris S.'s review of Spencer Museum Of Art on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, KS: KU's Spencer Museum - The Little Museum That Could

Key Words: Spencer Museum of Art, Spencer, museum, art, KU, Lawrence, Kansas, university, University of Kansas, Warhol, Remington, Bierstadt, Manet, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, review, Yelp

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"

Monday, May 23, 2016

Washington DC: Air And Space Museum - An Airman's Dream With A Few Flaws

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Independence Avenue and 6th Street SW

Washington, DC 20560

Phone: (202) 633-1000

Website: nasm.si.edu

The Air and Space Museum is a dream for an Airman like me, but the crowds drove me bonkers!

The exhibits are sublime, from Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis to the original Wright Flyer, the aviation history in this building is impressive. However, the massive amount of humanity roaming the halls was a nightmare. People roaming around in a trance or engulfed in conversation or their cell phone caused bottleneck after bottleneck. Having only a week in DC with too many things to do and see, we did not have time to lollygag and that was extremely frustrating.

The building is also in desperate need of maintenance. From a leaking roof that stained the walls to carpets with duct tape covering the holes, the building requires some simple maintenance to bring it up to Washington DC and Smithsonian standards.

CombatCritic Gives The Smithsonian's Air And Space Museum 8 Bombs Out Of 10 With A Two Bomb Deduction For Crowds And Poor Maintenance ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

TripAdvisor - Top Contributor

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Washington DC: Air And Space Museum - An Airman's Dream With A Few Flaws

Key Words: Washington DC, Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian, air, space, national, Washington, DC, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, attraction, museum, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor

Translation for Civilians: WTFO = "What-The-F#@& ... Over!"